Hyundai plans to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots developed by Boston Dynamics in the US.

The announcement came during a session hosted by JPMorgan Chase, where the automaker outlined its broader robotics manufacturing strategy.

Hyundai said it aims to build an annual production capacity of 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028 and plans to manufacture key robot components locally, signaling a major expansion of humanoid robotics in automotive production.

Yesterday, Boston Dynamics showed its Atlas humanoid learned heavy-object handling through reinforcement learning, simulations, torso rotation, and adaptive balance control during transport.

Humanoid workforce expansion

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) plans to deploy 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots developed by its subsidiary Boston Dynamics across Hyundai Motor and Kia manufacturing facilities.

The company aims to reach an annual production capacity of 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028. Hyundai Motor Group also plans to manufacture more than 300,000 actuator units annually at factories in the United States. Actuators are critical robot components that function as joints and muscles, reports Yohan News Agency (YNA).

The deployment forms part of HMG’s phased strategy to integrate humanoid robots into core automotive manufacturing operations. While the group confirmed plans to deploy over 25,000 Atlas robots, it did not disclose a detailed rollout timeline or specify which plants will receive the robots first.

During overseas road shows, Song Ho-sung, chief executive officer of Kia Corporation, said the humanoid robots are expected to begin operations at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia in 2028. Deployment at Kia’s Georgia plant is planned for 2029 as part of the broader robotics expansion strategy, reports YNA.

Robot motion learning

Recently, Boston Dynamics detailed the technology behind its Atlas humanoid robot’s ability to lift and carry heavy industrial objects using reinforcement learning and large-scale simulation training.

In a new technical blog, the company demonstrated Atlas rotating its torso 180 degrees, squatting to pick up a mini-fridge, and transporting it while dynamically adjusting to shifting internal weight. The behavior was developed within weeks of Atlas’ public debut earlier this year.

The system relies heavily on reinforcement learning, where Atlas repeatedly practices tasks in simulation environments under varying conditions. Engineers altered object weight, floor friction, grip force, and object placement to train the robot to adapt to unpredictable scenarios. Boston Dynamics said Atlas accumulated millions of simulated training hours running in parallel on GPUs.

Training begins with a reference trajectory generated through animation or teleoperation. Atlas then receives rewards for maintaining balance, grip stability, and successful task completion while exposed to disturbances. Once reliable in simulation, the behavior is transferred to the physical robot for testing and refinement.

Unlike many humanoids that depend mainly on vision systems, Atlas uses proprioception, or internal body awareness, to monitor balance, resistance, grip pressure, and body motion in real time. This allows the robot to handle unstable loads more effectively.

Boston Dynamics said the new Atlas platform reduces the “sim-to-real gap” through simplified hardware architecture, symmetrical limbs, and only two actuator types, improving simulation accuracy and real-world performance.